Britain’s Prince Harry has stepped down from the board of an African conservation charity mired in controversy last year over the conduct of some of its rangers, his spokesman confirmed Monday.
The royal is no longer a trustee of African Parks, which in May 2025 acknowledged its guards were involved in “rights abuses” at a national park in the Republic of Congo.
The accusations against the hired rangers of the charity — which manages 24 protected areas in 13 countries, and has received EU and US funding — reportedly included rape and torture against indigenous people.
Harry was “proud of his ten years with African Parks and fully supports the ongoing strengthening of its board,” his spokesman said in a short statement.
“His commitment to conservation in Africa continues, and he remains a supporter of African Parks’ mission.”
The charity said the prince and the board had “mutually agreed that, after ten years of service, this was the right time for him to conclude his formal role as part of a routine governance refresh”.
“He was not removed from the board,” it added.
Harry’s departure came with the British royal expected back in the UK shortly, following the surprise news last week that he will be relocating from the United States with his family.
The prince and his American wife Meghan Markle — formally known as the duke and duchess of Sussex — quit the country in 2020 and relocated to California.
They have been raising their two young children there.
Harry served as president of African Parks for six years until 2023, after which he joined the governing board of directors.
The charity confirmed last year that an independent investigation had confirmed allegations of abuses at its Odzala-Kokoua National Park in northern Congo.
But it did not give details of the violations against the Baka community of hunter gatherers who live near the park.
Reports in Britain’s Mail on Sunday and the German outlet Tagesschau cited locals as alleging rape, beatings, torture and other abuses carried out by guards employed by African Parks.
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